This is the best Red Wings team in 7 or 8 years. The Wings are the fastest team in the NHL. With the additions of Green Richards and drafting Larkin (who will be the rookie of the year for sure), the wings are finally in a prime spot here, especially with the Blackhawks regressing. Blackhawks made some mistakes letting some guys walk and it will hurt them. They were lined up to be a dynasty and now I'm not so sure. Nyquist and Tatar are the two best 25 year old players in the NHL. They are future all stars in this league. Zetterberg looks better than he has in 2 years and Franzen is finally back. Wings still have the best 2 way hockey player in the NHL in Pavel Datysuk, no matter his age. He can't be stopped. His moves are ridiculous.
It's a good thing that Bobcock is gone because I know for a fact that the players in Detroit were sick of him. There's a new voice in the locker room and the players really respect him. He is the same guy that trained Nyquist, Tatar and others before they rose to the NHL. This is a complete team now, with some serious speed. Guys like Helm are invaluable and are Chicago's version of Saad (who they made a mistake releasing).
These guys are going to be tough to beat this year no matter who is in net. Most likely Jimmy Howard will be the guy in the playoffs. One thing that could hurt them is their lack of size, but with the speed they now have and finallly getting a skill defenseman in Green who isn't just an enforcer like Kronwall or Stuart, you really have the makings of probably the best offensive team in the national hockey league.
This will of course be a test of health. If Datysuk or Zetty go down before playoffs, I will not be confident in my bet. But those guys don't miss the playoffs. Franzen is another key guy that needs to be able to play without suffering a concussion relapse. He is one of the top scorers in the NHL when healthy.
$100 on wings +2500 to win the Stanley Cup.
It's a good thing that Bobcock is gone because I know for a fact that the players in Detroit were sick of him. There's a new voice in the locker room and the players really respect him. He is the same guy that trained Nyquist, Tatar and others before they rose to the NHL. This is a complete team now, with some serious speed. Guys like Helm are invaluable and are Chicago's version of Saad (who they made a mistake releasing).
These guys are going to be tough to beat this year no matter who is in net. Most likely Jimmy Howard will be the guy in the playoffs. One thing that could hurt them is their lack of size, but with the speed they now have and finallly getting a skill defenseman in Green who isn't just an enforcer like Kronwall or Stuart, you really have the makings of probably the best offensive team in the national hockey league.
This will of course be a test of health. If Datysuk or Zetty go down before playoffs, I will not be confident in my bet. But those guys don't miss the playoffs. Franzen is another key guy that needs to be able to play without suffering a concussion relapse. He is one of the top scorers in the NHL when healthy.
$100 on wings +2500 to win the Stanley Cup.
